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How The Sound Of Music can help people suffering from Alzheimer's: Singing songs from hit musicals 'restores memories'
Cognitive test results improved after four months of singing groups
By Damien Gayle PUBLISHED: 07:24 GMT, 12 November 2013 | UPDATED: 13:45 GMT, 12 November 2013

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Singing songs from hit musicals can boost the brain function of people suffering from Alzheimer's disease, new research claims. Researchers found regular group singing sessions including classic numbers from the likes of The Sound Of Music helped residents at a U.S. care home improve mental performance. The most striking effect was seen in people suffering moderate to severe dementia, with participants scoring higher on cognitive and drawing tests. Scroll down for video

The hills are alive... New research has found that dementia sufferers who take part in group singing sessions including numbers from classic musicals like The Sound Of Music can benefit from improved mental performance

Patients also gave more positive responses to a satisfaction with life questionnaire at the end of the four-month study. The findings of the study, reported by The Guardian, were described at the Society for Neuroscience meeting taking place this week in San Diego, California. Lead author Linda Maguire, of George Mason University in Virginia, led care home residents in three 50-minute group singing sessions a week for four months, choosing songs that would be familiar to most of them. Numbers included such classics as The Sound Of Music, When You Wish Upon A Star and Somewhere Over The Rainbow. Cognitive and life-satisfaction tests given before and after the treatment showed a marked improvement among the singers, while others who came to the sessions but only to listen showed no improvement. In an abstract describing the study, Ms Maguire said: 'Musical aptitude and music appreciation are two of the last remaining abilities in patients with Alzheimers Disease.'
Trailer for classic film musical The Sound of Music

'The message is: don't give up on these people. You need to be doing things that engage them, and singing is cheap, easy and engaging'
She added: 'These data show that participation in an active singing program for an extended period of time can improve cognition in patients with moderate to severe dementia.' The findings were presented in San Diego by Ms Maguire's colleague Dr Jane Flynn, Associate Professor of Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience at George Mason. She said more care homes should consider holding group singing sessions, which are cheap, entertaining and beneficial to Alzheimer's patients. 'Even when people are in the fairly advanced stages of dementia, when it is so advanced they are in a secure ward, singing sessions were still helpful,' she said. 'The message is: don't give up on these people. You need to be doing things that engage them, and singing is cheap, easy and engaging.'

Hope: The latest study is not the first to find a link between singing and improvement in the symptoms of Alzheimer's. The UK Alzheimer's Society holds regular group singing sessions across the country

Memory loss is one of the most heartbreaking symptoms to affect people suffering from dementia, but somehow patients are often able to remember the melodies and lyrics of songs. Reminding them of these lyrics can help to spur them to revive other memories from the time they first learned the song, added Dr Flynn. The George Mason study is not the first to discover a link between singing and relief of the symptoms of Alzheimer's. Researchers at Finland's Helsinki University last month looked at the effects a ten-week singing course had on sufferers. They found that 'both singing and music listening improved mood, orientation and remote episodic memory and to a lesser extent, also attention and executive function and general cognition. 'Singing also enhanced short-term and working memory and caregiver well-being, whereas music listening had a positive effect on QOL [quality of life].' There has long been anecdotal evidence that singing groups help to slow the mental decline caused by dementia and the UK Alzheimer's Society holds regular groups singing sessions across the country.
Read more: Alzheimer's patients' brains boosted by belting out Sound of Music

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Comments (14)
Share what you think Newest Oldest Best rated Worst rated View all Hazel Anne Larmour, Newtownards, 3 hours ago I nursed a frail Alzheimer's sufferer who was 83 yrs old & no longer communicated. I discovered that when i said 'Eadie, can you sing "She wears my ring."? the lady sang several verses of it word perfect.

0 0 Click to rate

denisherring, christchurch nz, New Zealand, 7 hours ago I am a total ignoramous regarding scientific, social studies etc etc. but this procedure does work, it has the precicely opposite effect of alleged music (I call noise), we have to endure today.

0 4 Click to rate Michael, Yorkshire, United Kingdom, 8 hours ago test

1 0 Click to rate

JeffL, London, 11 hours ago Concert pianist Agi Jambor was still able to play Bach to a very high standard in her late eighties when she was suffering from an advanced state of Alzheimer's, as videos posted on You Tube prove. Certainly it seems as if the musical faculty is often retained even when other functions of the brain deteriorate.

8 Click to rate Brother Anthony, Reading UK, United Kingdom, 11 hours ago Its called 'Singing for the Brain' in the UK. Its been around for over 5 years, it works and every Town has such groups. We've several here in Reading. Its not just for Dementia - even the Carers who take Dimentia sufferers there come out singing and looking happy. Singing makes everyone happy, thats why we have Hit Parades, Pop Groups and X Factor.

0 9 Click to rate clavierking, Christchurch, 13 hours ago Damian, You are out of touch! It has been done for years here in the UK, especially at a West London premises where members of the Cabinet have homes nearby.

0 3 Click to rate

NHS Nightmare, Huddersfield, United Kingdom, 13 hours ago My father's tastes at 85 were Steely Dan and Chris Rea....

1 4 Click to rate usednurse, Scottish Borders United Kingdom, 13 hours ago My partner and I are now planning a daily session of singalong! Seriously, songs are stored in a different area of the brain which is why stroke victims with speech difficulty can still sing perfectly and why dementia patients also retain song lyrics. Anything which takes dementia patients into their own past can prompt evidence of long term memories still being there but the major problems are caused by short term memory loss.

0 6 Click to rate AliCov, Coventry - United Kingdom, 16 hours ago In some nursing homes I worked , music such as classical and war songs were constantly played for the residents . But the PC brigade said that playing such music was ageist and insulting because it was assumed that that's what old people listen to without knowing whether that's what THEY wanted to listen to . I am glad there is now research which shows that that music is therapuetic

2 23 Click to rate

SilverLady, Slough, United Kingdom, 12 hours ago Absolutely...at the nursing home I visit...they have regular sing-songs and the response is amazing. 0 7 Click to rate

Rubyjas, Bridlington East Yorkshire, 16 hours ago When I worked in a day centre looking after people with Alzheimers we did this all the time. We constantly played music from times gone by and not only did our service users become more animated but the sang, danced and talked to eachother. Music therapy is not new. Those with Alzheimers do remember things but their recollections are old, they cant remember recent events.

0 20 Click to rate The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

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